Polish prospective investors place more importance on investing success than almost anywhere else in Europe, yet two in three often second-guess their decisions, Capital.com study finds

With Personal Investment Accounts launching in January 2027, Capital.com's Beyond Access study finds 43% of Polish respondents say success at investing is ‘very important’ to them, the highest of any market surveyed, and 48% feel pressure to act when markets move quickly.

By Capital.coman hour ago

WARSAW, POLAND, 2 NOVEMBER 2026 — Capital.com, the online trading and investment platform, today published a new study showing that two-thirds (66%) of would-be Polish investors often second-guess their investment decisions, 19 percentage points above the European average of 47%. At the same time, 43% of Polish respondents say success at investing is very important to them, against a European average of 30%.

Capital.com's Beyond Access study, based on a survey of 3,613 prospective investors in six European countries and a wider EU sample, suggests that the personal importance Polish respondents place on investing success does not always carry through to the moment of decision. The findings point to the decision environment, meaning the combination of information, tools, guidance and structure investors encounter when they decide, as a key factor in the gap between what prospective Polish investors want to do and how settled they feel about the decisions they make.

The findings come as Poland prepares to introduce Personal Investment Accounts from 1 January 2027, which will exempt income from assets held in the accounts from capital gains tax and exempt holdings of up to PLN 100,000 from a new tax on asset value*. The study suggests that, alongside access and incentives, the quality of the decision environment will shape how confident Polish investors feel about the decisions they make.

Commenting on the introduction of Personal Investment Accounts, Christoforos Soutzis, CEO Europe, Capital.com, said:

"Personal Investment Accounts will lead many Polish savers to look again at whether investing has a place alongside their savings. The question our study asks is what happens next, at the moment someone actually decides. The prospective Polish investors we surveyed already have the ambition. What they tell us is that they also need clear explanations, risks set out before they commit, and room to take their time. Getting that moment right is what going beyond access means."

Motivated, reactive and quick to doubt

Polish respondents show some of the strongest personal motivation to invest in Europe, with 78% saying success at investing is ‘important’ to them (vs 71% European average), including 43% who say it is ‘very important’ (vs 30%). Polish respondents are also more reactive to market moves, with 48% saying they feel pressure to act when markets move quickly, compared with 43% across Europe as a whole. Polish respondents were also more likely than those in other markets to raise concerns about scams unprompted, although overall mentions of scams were low across the study.

The pattern sets Poland apart within Europe. Polish respondents are among the most motivated in the study, and they are also far more likely than average to revisit a decision once it has been made. Dutch respondents, by contrast, report far lower motivation (54% say success at investing is important to them, vs 71% European average) and are among the least confident in their own investment judgement (53% vs 63%), while German respondents are more likely to say they feel prepared for market downturns (52% vs 47% European average).

Polish respondents are also clear about what would help. 66% say a clear explanation of risk shown before confirming a decision would be extremely or very helpful, in line with the European average (64%). The findings suggest that how information is presented, how risk is framed and when guidance is offered may matter as much as product availability in how Polish investors approach their decisions.

Reflecting on the wider findings, Soutzis added:

"Poles are clearly ambitious and recognise the importance of investing to their financial future, but the study shows they are also far more likely than the European average to second-guess their decisions. High motivation sitting alongside frequent self-doubt is precisely the combination that the decision environment needs to address. What Polish prospective investors are telling us is that they need environments that slow down reactive impulses, build trust, and give them the confidence to act on knowledge they already have. That means clearer communication, better risk framing and tools that help investors make decisions on their own terms."

Key findings among Polish respondents include:78% say personal success at investing is important to them, including 43% who say it is very important, the highest of any market based on the sample surveyed (vs 71% and 30% European averages)

66% say they often second-guess their investment decisions, 19 percentage points above the European average of 47%
71% understand that savings earning less than inflation lose real value (vs 66% European average)
68% say inflation is something they actively consider when deciding where to keep their money (vs 63% European average)
48% feel pressure to act when markets move quickly (vs 43% European average)
20% feel very confident investing in bonds (vs 14% European average)

The Beyond Access study combined an online survey with analysis of open-ended responses to examine decision environment factors, including emotional context and risk framing, across all markets surveyed.

Capital.com commissioned the study to better understand the decision-making barriers facing retail investors as it continues to develop its platform around better decisions.

The full Beyond Access report, including cross-market comparisons and country-level data, is available to download at: https://capital.com/report-eu-beyond-access-oct-2026